Regional Recipe: Whitley Goose

Whitley Goose is a traditional recipe from Whitley Bay which has nothing to do with geese. It is a simple dish of boiled onions mixed with cheese and cream. Serve it alongside a roast dinner as a side dish or with bread as a simple tasty supper.

It reminds me of another traditional Northumberland dish, Pan Haggerty which
is more filling due to its use of potatoes.

I would love to know more about the origins of the name, Whitley Goose. I am
sure there must be a colourful story behind it.

Mock Goose

Whitley Goose may be a local variation of a Mock Goose recipe. The idea
behind Mock Goose is to create a tasty but cheap dish that will make you think
you are dining in style. There are mentions of it in cookery books as far back
at the 1740’s. Most of the recipes use sausage meat or liver with potatoes and
sage in layers in a dish which is baked in the oven.

Mock goose became popular during the Second World War, when food rationing made it difficult to get meat. There are two variants of the recipe, one which uses lentils and the other uses potatoes, apples and cheese. This page lists these mock goose recipes.

Whitley Goose is slightly different as it uses cheese, cream and onions. As
geese are white maybe the name came from the white colour of the dish. This is
speculation, if you know where the name came from let me know.

Where is Whitley Bay?

Whitley Bay is a coastal town overlooking the North Sea, not
far from Newcastle. When I first came to Newcastle I used to hop on the metro
at the weekend and go for a wander along the coastline. There is a stretch of
golden beach that runs to St Mary’s lighthouse in the North. When the tide is
out you can walk across and visit the lighthouse. My son spent many a happy
hour investigating the rock pools when he was a child.

Nearby you will find Whitley Bay Caravan Park which is a
good place for a holiday.

If you walk to the South you pass the iconic dome of Spanish
City, immortalised in the Dire Straits song “Tunnel of Love”.
Originally built in 1910 as a concert hall and tearoom it became a funfair.
Sadly it stood empty for eighteen years. Recently it has been brought back to
its former glory and contains restaurants, tea rooms and event spaces.

Further along the coast, past Cullercoats you reach
Tynemouth and the ruins of the castle and priory overlooking the sea. There are
plenty of shops to pop into and fish and chips in the sea air are always
welcome.

How to make Whitley Goose

The Whitley Goose recipe is really simple and quick to make.

Ingredients

You need the following ingredients to make this savoury cheese and onion dish.

4 onions

110 g cheddar cheese

450 ml single cream

Salt and pepper

Butter to grease the dish

Equipment needed

Sharp knife

Pan

Casserole dish

Measuring jug

A grater

Instructions

Peel the onions and put in a pan of water with a little salt

Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until soft.

Drain the onions and leave to cool

Preheat the oven to 200 C 400 F Gas Mark 6

Grease the casserole dish with some butter

Grate the cheese.

Chop the onions into rough segments and add to the
casserole dish with half the cheese.

Season with black pepper

Add the cream and top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake
in the oven for 25 – 50 minutes until golden.

Tips

You can chop the onions before boiling. They will cook more quickly and
there is no risk of burning your fingers when chopping them.

My grandmother used to make this, as well as Panackalty too, and Stotty cakes with cheese savoury! All my mum’s family come from the North East…..I miss it a lot…..Thanks for sharing a very familiar recipe with me, Karen